US politicians urged not to ‘erode’ copyright laws
More than 1,500 musicians and film directors have signed a letter urging members of Congress not to “erode” copyright laws in the US.
The Copyright Alliance and CreativeFuture, two trade bodies, have sent a joint letter to Congress in which they offer their support for the current copyright system.
Their letter comes as politicians conduct a review of the US Copyright Office.
“There is no left or right when it comes to respecting copyright,” the letter said. “The creative community stands united in support of a copyright system that has made and continues to make the US the global leader in the creative arts.
“Our copyright is not perfect but, like democracy, it is better than the alternatives. It works. We urge Congress to resist attempts to erode the right of creatives to determine when and how they share their works in the global marketplace,” it concluded.
Last month, the US House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the function of the US Copyright Office, the body responsible for administering copyright in the US, as part of a wider review of it.
The office itself has published a 245-page report on music licensing laws in the US. It recommended that the US extends performance rights to recording artists’ songs that are broadcast on terrestrial radio stations, and provide federal copyright protection for songs recorded before 1972.
Currently, terrestrial radio broadcasters, in contrast to satellite and digital broadcasters, are exempt from paying royalties to artists for using their sound recordings.
